Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman lead a familiar fake-dating romance with mixed chemistry and uneven romantic development throughout.

The film expands its romance with academic conflicts involving Olive’s research, career ambitions and Harvard professor Tom Benton.

The predictable ending confirms Olive and Adam’s relationship while giving the characters professional and personal closure.

‘The Love Hypothesis’, based on Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling novel, follows Olive Smith (Lili Reinhart), a PhD student at Stanford working on pancreatic cancer research. Her personal life becomes complicated when she pretends to be in a relationship to convince her best friend Anh that she moved on from her feelings for Jeremy.

The plan takes an unexpected turn when Olive kisses Dr. Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman), a notoriously intimidating professor, after Anh catches her in the middle of the lie. Adam agrees to pretend to be her boyfriend, giving both of them a reason to continue the arrangement.

Olive wants to help Anh pursue Jeremy without feeling guilty, while Adam has his own professional reasons for maintaining the appearance of a relationship. What starts as a practical arrangement gradually becomes more complicated as the two spend more time together.

Reinhart carries much of the film through Olive’s combination of awkwardness, determination and professional ambition. The character is not simply presented as someone looking for a relationship. Her research and career remain important parts of the story.

Bateman’s Adam is initially introduced as the difficult professor students dislike. His character becomes noticeably softer as his relationship with Olive develops, although the transition is not always convincing.

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